Petunia plant named ‘Kirimaji Double Capricious’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Kirimaji Double Capricious’, characterized by its cascading and prostrate plant habit; freely branching growth habit; early flowering habit; light purple-colored semi-double flowers; and good weather tolerance.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Petunia hybrida cultivar Kirimaji Double Capricious.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Kirimaji Double Capricious’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventors in Tochigi, Japan. The objective of the breeding programis to create new double Petunia cultivars that have stronger growth andattractive flower coloration.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventors in March, 1999, in Tochigi, Japan, of an unnamed proprietaryPetunia selection, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with thePetunia cultivar Sonata Pure White, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Petunia was discovered and selected by theInventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Tochigi, Japan,in July, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its strong plantgrowth habit and attractive flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in acontrolled environment in Tochigi, Japan, since July, 2000, has shownthat the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Kirimaji Double Capricious have not been observedunder all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and lightintensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Kirimaji Double Capricious’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Kirimaji Double Capricious’as a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia:

1. Cascading and prostrate plant habit.

2. Freely branching growth habit.

3. Early flowering habit.

4. Light purple-colored semi-double flowers.

5. Good weather tolerance; tolerant to wind, rain, and low and hightemperatures.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, an unnamed proprietary Petunia selection. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of thenew Petunia differed from plants of the female parent primarily inflower form and color as plants of the female parent had white-coloredsingle flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parent,the cultivar Sonata Pure White. In side-by-side comparisons conducted bythe Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Petunia differed fromplants of the cultivar Sonata Pure White in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia were more prostrate and not as upright asplants of the cultivar Sonata Pure White.

2. Plants of the new Petunia had slightly smaller flowers than plants ofthe cultivar Sonata Pure White.

3. Plants of the new Petunia had light purple-colored flowers whereasplants of the cultivar Sonata Pure White had white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new cultivar can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Surfinia Super Double Blue Vein, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of thenew Petunia differed from plants of the cultivar Surfinia Super DoubleBlue Vein in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia had slightly smaller flowers than plants ofthe cultivar Surfinia Super Double Blue Vein.

2. Plants of the new Petunia had light purple-colored flowers whereasplants of the cultivar Surfinia Super Double Blue Vein had brightpurple-colored flowers with dark red purple-colored venation.

Plants of the new cultivar can also be compared to plants of thecultivar Doubloon Lilac Star, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted by the Inventors in Tochigi, Japan, plants of the new Petuniadiffered from plants of the cultivar Doubloon Lilac Star in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia had slightly smaller flowers than plants ofthe cultivar Doubloon Lilac Star.

2. Plants of the new Petunia had light purple-colored flowers whereasplants of the cultivar Doubloon Lilac Star had light purple-coloredflowers with dark purple-colored venation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Kirimaji Double Capricious’.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical flower of ‘Kirimaji Double Capricious’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. Twenty-centimeter containerswith three plants per container were used for the aforementionedphotographs and the following description. Plants were grown underconditions which closely approximate commercial production conditionsduring the winter in Santa Paula, Calif. in a polyethylene-coveredgreenhouse. Plants used for the photographs and the description wereabout 14 weeks from planting rooted young plants. During the productionperiod, day temperatures averaged 28° C., night temperatures averaged21° C., and light levels were about 5,000 footcandles.

Botanical classification: Petunia hybrida cultivar Kirimaji DoubleCapricious.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of Petuniahybrida, not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Petunia hybrida cultivar Sonata Pure White, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 3 days at 25° C. Winter: About 5days at 23° C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 21 days at 25° C.Winter: About 23 days at 25° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; cascading and prostrate plant habit; lowmounded; short intenodes, dense and bushy appearance.

Plant height (from soil level to top of plant plane,.—About 15 cm.

Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 120 cm.

Growth rate.—Relatively rapid.

Branching habit.—Freely basal branching, about 6 to 8 basal branches perplant; lateral branches develop at potentially every node; pinching istypically not required.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 48 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.Internode length: About 3.75 cm. Orientation: Initially upright, thenhorizontal. Texture: Pubescent; short, fine hairs. Strength: Strong, butflexible. Color: 144B.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical. Arrangement:Alternate before flowering, then opposite. Length: About 4.7 cm. Width:About 3.5 cm. Shape: Broadly elliptic. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Acute.Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Viscid; slightlypubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate; arcuate. Color: Young foliage,upper surface: 146A. Young foliage, lower surface: 146B. Fully expandedfoliage, upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:147B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 147B. Petiole length: About 5mm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole color: 144A.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Flowers face upright or outward; semi-doubleflower form; solitary and axillary; salverform. Freely flowering habit,about 20 to 22 flowers and flower buds per lateral stem. Flowerspersistent.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn; floweringcontinuous during this period.

Time to flower.—Early flowering; plants begin flowering about 2 weeksafter planting.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About 2 weeks.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 5.7 cm. Length (height): About 3.7 cm. Tubelength: About 2.4 cm. Tube diameter, base: About 4 mm.

Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.3cm. Shape: Obovate. Color: 76C to 76D.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Outer whorl of about five petals fusedat base and surrounding inner whorl of about five to seven petals. Petallength, outer and inner whorls of petals: About 2.8 cm. Petal width:Outer whorl of petals: About 2.5 cm. Inner whorl of petals: About 1.75cm. Petal shape: Spatulate to flabellate. Petal apex: Rounded withshallow point. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture: Smooth, glabrous;satiny. Petal surface: Slightly ruffled. Color: Petal, when opening,upper surface: 70B; venation, 144B to 144C. Petal, when opening, lowersurface: 75C; venation, 144C. Petal, opened flower, upper surface: 75A;77C to 77D towards the base; color fading to 75B with subsequentdevelopment; venation, 144B to 144C. Petal, opened flower, lowersurface: 75D; venation, 144C. Flower throat (inside): 155A; venation,183C to 183D. Flower tube (outside): 75D; venation, 144C.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals fused atbase; star-shaped. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper andlower surfaces: Coarse; pubescent. Color: Young and fully expandedsepals, upper and lower surfaces: 147A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Strength: Strong.Angle: About 45 to 60° from stem. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About eight to ten per flower.Anther shape: Oval. Anther size: About 1 mm by 2 mm. Anther color: 158B.Pollen amount: None observed. Pistils: None observed.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been notedto be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia.

Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Petunia are tolerant torain and wind and have been observed to tolerate temperatures from 3 to35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named‘Kirimaji Double Capricious’, as illustrated and described.